German Chancellor Merkel Breaks Pelvis Skiing, But Keeps on Trucking

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who fractured her pelvis in a ski accident, gives her New Year's television address.

Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images

You have to be tough to lead a country. But, usually, that amounts to a mental toughness, not necessarily physical toughness. On Monday, it was revealed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is quite possibly both, as she broke a bone in her pelvis while cross-country skiing in Switzerland. A spokesman described the injury as "severe bruising linked with a partial fracture on the left, rear part of the pelvis,” according to the BBC. It sounds pretty painful, but apparently Merkel thought the injury, which occurred over the Christmas holiday, was just a bruise and didn’t see a doctor until she returned to Berlin last Friday. Despite the fact that Merkel managed to keep on keeping on through the holiday, her spokesman said now she’s on crutches and is going to have to take it easy for several weeks until she recovers.